Cargo tiedown fitting



Aug. 2, 1966 N. HIGUCHX 3,263,629

CARGO TIEDOWN FITTING Filed 001;. 15, 1964 INVENTOR. Now HlGUCHI F)TOQNE? United States Patent 3,263,629 CARGO TIEDOWN FITTING NoriHiguchi, College Point, N.Y., assignor to Davis Aircraft Products Inc.,Northport, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 15, 1964, Ser. No.404,067 12 Claims. (Cl.105-369) The invention herein disclosed relatesto fittings used with channeled cargo tiedown tracks.

Objects of the invention have been to provide terminal fittings forrope, cord, cable, chain, webbing and other forms of tiedownconnections, which would be of simple, sturdy construction, readilyengageable with and releasable from the track and which would lock inplace on engagement in the track and which while of small size and lightweight would hold securely under usual or exceptional loading.

Particularly it has been a purpose of the invention to provide apractical and desirable form of fitting which could be made up wholly orfor the most part of simply formed sheet metal parts.

Further special objects and the novel features through which thepurposes of the invention have been attained are set forth and willappear in the course of the following specification.

The drawing accompanying and forming part of the specificationillustrates a present practical embodiment of the invention but thestructure may be modified and changed as regards the immediateillustration, all within the true intent and scope of the invention ashereinafter defined and claimed.

FIG. 1 in the drawing is a side elevation of one of the end 1fittings innormal, expanded condition but free of the trac FIG. 2 is an end view ofthe same, but showing it engaged and interlocked with the track; thelatter shown in section.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation similar to FIG. 1, but showing the springtensioned finger grips pinched toward each other for releasing thedevice from the track.

FIG. 4 is an end view similar to FIG. 2 with parts in the releasingposition.

FIG. 5 is a broken plan view showing interlocking engagement of thefitting with the track.

The cargo track 7 is shown as of the more or less usual constructionhaving opposed flanges 8 defining an entranceway and these flangeshaving oppositely disposed notches 9 therein providing access to thespace beneath or behind the flanges and providing spaced projections 29.

The end fitting is shown as embodying a frame of inverted channelformation having spaced sides 10 connected at the top by a base portion11 to which the ring or other terminal fitting 12 is secured, withanchor plates 13, 14 supported in back-to-back relation within the frameand adapted to be spread into engagement with the track flanges byinterposed wedging means.

The track engaging plates are slideably mounted on traverse bolts orstuds 15, extending between the sides 10 of the frame and these platesare equipped at their lower edges with outwardly projecting flanges 16to engage behind the opposed projecting flanges 8 of the track.

In practice, these anchoring plates 13, 14 have been made of sheet metaland the securing flanges 16 provided by embossing the plates inwardly asindicated at 17.

FIG. 4 shows how with the plates collapsed in closely engagedback-to-back relation they may be passed through the entrance slot inthe track and FIG. 2 shows how when expanded or spread apart, thesecuring flanges 16 at the lower edges of the plates will engage behindthe track flanges.

The expanding and contracting movements of the plates 3,263,629 PatentedAugust 2, 1966 4, as made up of separate pieces 19, 20, pivotallyengaged on studs 15 at the center of the frame and connected bylaterally extending portions 21, 22 with angularly related handle orfinger grip portions 23, 24, pivotally engaged on the outer ends of thestuds 15.

A U-spring 25 has its intermediate bight portion 26 engaged over the twoelements 19, 20 of each wedge 18 and its opposite ends coiled at 27about the stud 15, with these ends caught over the frame at 28, FIG. 1,to exert downward movement of the wedges necessary to force and hold theanchor plates apart, as in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The exposed portions 21, 22 of the wedging or spreading membersconstitute finger grips or holds by which the wedges can be rocked fromthe holding position shown in FIG. 1 to the released position shown inFIG. 3.

The finger holds 21, 22, may be located close enough together to begripped between thumb and forefinger and the wedges thus be released bya simple pinching movewedges 18, the finger grip portions 23 by whichthe wedges are rocked may be equipped with stop lugs 28 positioned toengage the ends of the frame when the wedges are fully engaged betweenthe anchor plates, as in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The fitting is made up mostly of simply fashioned sheet;

metal parts so as to be light and strong; taking up small space andmanufactured and assembled at low cost.

The fitting may be engaged with or disengaged from the track by simplypinching the finger grips toward each other to release the wedges fromthe anchor plates.

The embossments in the lower portions of the plates are located so as toengage and interlock with adjoining projections in the inverted T-slottrack, thus to automatically anchor the fitting in the track and lock itagainst longitudinal movement in the track.

In the construction illustrated, the embossments at opposite ends of theplates are of sufficient extent and are located so as to receive andinterlock over two adjoining projections 29 at each side of the track,as in FIG. 4, so as to securely hold the fitting against e-ndwisemovement on the track.

The inclines of the inner faces of the embossments facilitate entranceand release of the wedging elements.

What is claimed is:

1. A cargo tiedown fitting for tracks having inverted T-slots defined byopposed spaced flanges having notches forming entrances to space behindthose remaining portions of the flanges between the notches, andcomprising an inverted channel frame having a back and dependent sides,terminal means for a tiedown connection on the back of the same andbolts extending between and connecting the sides of the same,

anchor plates slideably supported on said bolts in back-to-backrelation.

said plates having outwardly facing holding flanges at the lower edgesof the same engageable behind said remaining portions of the trackflanges, when the plates are spread apart,

said plates being movable toward each other to withdraw the flangesthereon sutficiently for entry between said opposed flanges of thetracks, and

spreader means between said anchor plates movable -to-spread the anchorplates 'to engage the flanges thereon behind said portions of theopposed flanges or permit retraction of said holding flanges from behindthe opposed flanges, said anchor plates having parts entering thenotches in the opposing flanges to hold the fitting against longitudinalmovement on the tracks when the anchor plates are spread into holdingengagement with the opposed supporting flanges.

' 2. The invention according to claim 1 with spring means includingsprings engaged over said bolts and disposed between the sides of theframe and the outer sides of the anchor plates for forcing said anchorplates toward each other and against said spreader means between thesame.

3. The invention according to claim 1 with relatively inclined wedgingfaces on cooperatively engaging portions of the spreader means andanchor plates.

4. The invention according to claim 1 with handle means on said spreadermeans for retracting said spreader meansfrom said spreading position.

5. The invention according to claim 1 with spring means for urging saidplates into back-to-back relation and for projecting said spreader meansinto spreading position between the plates.

6. The invention according to claim 1 in which said holding flanges atthe lower edges of the anchor plates are provided by embossments formedin said plates and of a size and spaced to engage over adjoiningprojections left between the notches in the track flanges.

7. The invention according to claim 1 with a spreader at each end of theframe positioned between the ends of the plates nearest that end of theframe.

8. The invention according to claim 1 with said spreader means includinga wedge pivoted on one of said bolts between said plates.

9. The invention according to claim 8 with spring means urging saidwedge into position between said plates and handle means connected withsaid wedge for retracting said wedge in opposition to said spring means.

10. The invention according to claim 1 with a spreader at each end ofsaid frame and including a wedge pivoted on the bolt at that end of theframe in position to enter between the anchor plates, spring meansurging said wedge between the plates and handle means for rocking saidWedge in the opposite direction, said handle means being positioned atthe opposite ends of the frame for gripping engagement between thefingers of a hand.

11. The invention according to claim 1 with said spreader means made upof Wedge pieces pivoted in backto-back engagement on one of said boltsand each having a handleforrning portion projecting into exposed handoperable position and spring means urging said wedge pieces in the platespreading direction.

12. Cargo tiedown fitting comprising a frame having means for attachmentof a tiedown connection, cross studs at opposite ends of said frame,anchor plates slideably mounted in back-to-back relation on said studsand having outwardly extending flanges at the lower ends of the same forengagement behind the flanges of cargo tiedown tracks,

spreading Wedges pivoted on said studs for entry between said plates,

spring means for rocking said wedges into spreading engagement betweensaid plates and handle means for rocking said wedges in the oppositedirection.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 907,493 12/ 1908Gunther 292-42 2,294,708 9/ 1942 Barnett 292-42 2,688,289 9/1954Sterling 105-369 2,743,684 5/1956 Elsner 105-369 2,866,574 12/ 1958Roumerliotis 292-42 2,883,225 4/ 1959 Akehurst 292-42 ARTHUR L. LAPOINT, Primary Examiner.

DRAYTON E. HOFFMAN, Examiner.

12. CARGO TIEDOWN FITTING COMPRISING A FRAME HAVING MEANS FOR ATTACHMENTOF A TIEDOWN CONNECTION, CROSS STUDS AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID FRAME,ANCHOR PLATES SLIDEABLY MOUNTED IN BACK-TO-BACK RELATION ON SAID STUDSAND HAVING OUTWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGES AT THE LOWER ENDS OF THE SAME FORENGAGEMENT BEHIND THE FLANGES OF CARGO TIEDOWN TRACKS, SPREADING WEDGESPIVOTED ON SAID STUDS FOR ENTRY BETWEEN SAID PLATES, SPRING MEANS FORROCKING SAID WEDGES INTO SPREADING ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN SAID PLATES ANDHANDLE MEANS FOR ROCKING SAID WEDGE IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.